Amazingthai Brings Affordable Thai Food to Dongzhimen and Shuangjing Malls

Quick fix Thai alternatives are becoming more and more common in Beijing, much to the delight of our tummies (not to mention our bank accounts). Take the aptly named Amazingthai, for example, which has opened two branches in the past month – one in Dongzhimen's Raffles City and the other in Shuangjing's shiny, new Space 3 Mall – which makes pit-stop quick and affordable Thai its priority.

Amazingthai instantly gets brownie points for providing a large plate of complimentary and addictive prawn crackers for patrons as they peruse the menu. Our initial impression left us impressed by the decent selection of appetizers, curries (RMB 58-78), pad thai, fried rice, and classic Thai soups, such as tom yum soup, and coconut milk chicken soup (RMB 58). The latter was bursting with fragrant herbs and spices as well as a rich coconut flavor, which made each spoonful as satisfying as the next.

We were all the more impressed by the massaman curry beef (RMB 78) with its sweet, nutty, and spicy notes, and tender chunks of beef and well-done potatoes. Tempting as it may be to quickly gobble this one up, it's worth savoring because of the abundance of subtle flavors courtesy of the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, bay leaves, nutmeg, peppers, peanut, and coconut … the list goes on. While the curry was on the milder side, it also had enough of an intermittent spicy kick to help see a whole bowl of rice disappear.

As good as the food was, the Thai milk tea (black or green, RMB 22) was the real deal, and featured the same strong flavor I remember enjoying during my visit to Number One Brand in Thailand. Our Thai friends are certainly on to something with this sweet mixture of tea and condensed milk; there may not be a better remedy for hot and humid days.

Amazingthai doesn't intend to become your dinner destination for a fancy group banquet and the drab and minimalist decor won't be enticing anyone to stick around longer than necessary. Instead, it's a humble and efficient spot for you to satisfy your weekday Thai food cravings.

Amazingthai
Daily 11am-9pm. 5/F, Raffles City, 1 Dongzhimen Nandajie, Dongcheng District (132 6033 1389)
正泰：东城区东直门南大街1号北京来福士5层

Daily 11am-9pm. 3/F, Space 3 Mall, Shuangjing, Chaoyang District (185 1965 8985)
朝阳区双井乐成中心Space3 3层6室

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Photos: Tracy Wang